Display devices



April 11, 1967 M. J. MADEY DISPLAY DEVICES Filed June 9, 1965 INVENTOR: MARION J. MADEY ma -7 4%; gwdflm ATT'YS United States Patent Oflflce 3,313,054 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 Illinois Fiied June 9, 1965, Ser. No. 462,701 3 Claims. (CI. 40-40) This invention in general relates to display devices, and more particularly relates to improvements in elongated mounting strips for mounting displays on a backing or support member, to panel structures adapted to be removably mounted in said strips, and to combinations of said strips with said panel structures removably mounted therein.

The display devices of this invention are especially suitable for displaying advertising material, including placards, articles, letters, pictures, price cards and/or the like. The panel structures differ from the usual removable price tagging found on shelf edges in various kinds of stores such as food stores in that the panel struc tures have a greater height than the width of the elongated strip in which they are removably mounted by an appropriate backing member. The elongated mounting strips embody improvements along the rear sides thereof to accommodate the mounting of said strips on slightly uneven or irregular surfaces. Such strips further embody structure coacting with the backing or supporting member upon which said strips are mounted to provide a convenient, open-ended compartment for storing price tagging or other miscellaneous items which are used in conjunction with the display device.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a new and improved display device which is especially suitable for the display of advertising material of the character aforedescribed.

A further object of the invention is to provide devices of the type described wherein the mounting strips thereof embody structures accommodating the mounting thereof on slightly irregular or uneven surfaces of supporting or backing members.

Still another object is to provide display panel structures provided with backing members for removably holding such panel structures at any place along the elongated strips.

A still further object is to provide articles useful for display purposes which are readily manufactured and easily mounted for display purposes.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a fragment of an elongated mounting strip of the invention with a removable display panel mounted thereon;

FIG. 2A is a section through said strip, the center fragment of said panel member, and a fragment of the support or backing member upon which the strip is mounted and shows the backing member of the panel in its position just prior to insertion into the strip; and

FIG. 2B is a similar section to FIG. 2A and shows the panel and its backing member in mounted position in the strip.

Referring to the drawing, elongated mounting strip is adapted to be mounted on a vertical support surface of any suitable nature, i.e., a wall, vertical panel, a

vertical edge of a shelf, and the like. It comprises an elongated, longitudinal web portion 11 extending the length of the strip. The web portion 11 has first and second, elongated, longitudinal strip portions 12 and 13. The respective strip portions 12 and 13 are supported along their inner, longitudinal edges on the forward portion of the web and flare relative to each other in transverse directions outwardly and forwardly from the respective upper and lower edges of the web portion 11. The front faces of strip portions 12 and 13 are provided with small, longitudinal, decorative grooves 14 which enhance the appearance of the front face of the strip 10.

The elongated, mounting strip 10 has at least one hole or aperture 15 extending from the front face to the rear face. Each hole or aperture 15 accommodates the shank of a screw or bolt 16, which is used to attach the strip to a suitable backing or support member 17. Ordinarily the strip 10 is oriented so that its longitudinal axis ex tends substantially horizontally.

The respective outer edges of the strip portions 12 and 13 have a forwardly extending, elongated, longitudinal strip segments 18 and 19, respectively, the forward edges of which have transversely inwardly directed flanges 20 and 21, respectively. The flanges Zil and 21 are narrow, elongated, longitudinal strips.

The longitudinal, elongated members 18-21 provide elongated flange means forming opposing, facing, elongated grooves 22 and 23 along the respective outer edges of the strip portions 12 and 13. The longitudinal grooves 22 and 23 are provided to receive therein at any place therealong the upper and lower edges of a removable display member or plate hereinafter described.

If desired, the outer edges of strip portions 12 and 13 may also be provided with elongated, longitudinal, strips 24 and 25. These strips 24 and 25 slope in a transverse direction inwardly away from the respective outer edges of strip poritons 12 and 13;

The device 26 for displaying copy, indicia, pictures, etc., comprises a plate or panel 28 mounted on a backing member. The backing member comprises a synthetic polymer member. It has a central, flat, elongated web segment 27 lying flatly against and attached to the rear face of the panel or plate 28 by means of adhesive or the like. The backing member or panel-mounting strip further has formed thereon along opposite, longitudinal edges of the web segment 27 elongated, longitudinal lips 29 and 36. These lips are parallel with the web segment 27 and are displaced rearwardly relative to the web seg ment. They are adapted to be received in the opposing, facing grooves 22 and 23, respectively. The rearwardly offset relationship of lips 29 and 30 relative to web segment 27 provides longitudinal shoulders 31 and 32 facing upwardly and downwardly, respectively, at the junctures between the top and bottom edges of web segment 27 and the lips 29 and 30. Lips 29 and 30 have substantially the same width from the respective shoulders 31 and 32 to the outer edges. On the other hand, the upper flange 20 is wider than the lower flange 21; thereby the longitudinal groove 22 is deeper than its opposing longitudinal groove 23. This relationship is provided so that the display device 26 can be mounted or removed in a certain sequence only. This sequence is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In the first step, indicated in FIG. 2A by the circled No. 1, the lip 29 is placed behind flange 20.

. a The display device 26 is pushed upwardly until the shoulder 31 abuts the lower edge of lip 20. In this relationship the lower edge of lip 39 will clear the upper edge of lip 21 so that the lip 30 can be swung behind flange 21 and dropped into groove 23. This step is indicated in FIG. 2A by the circled No. 2.

The relationship of the parts with the display device 26 mounted on the strip is shown in FIG. 3, i.e., with the lip 30 in groove 23 and behind flange 21. The upper edge of lip 29 remains behind flange even when the lower edge of lip 30 is bottomed in groove 23 so that the upper lip 29, as well as lower lip 30, is held behind respective flanges 20 and 21. The upper edge of the backing member or panel-mounting member, therefore, will never fall out of the downwardly facing groove 22. In the illustrated embodiment the lips 29 and 31 have the same width so that either lip can be mounted in either groove 22 or 2 3, i.e., in the orientation as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, or with the display device 26 rotated 180.

The illustrated embodiment shows one of the advantages of the invention, i.e., the ability to removalbly mount on a mounting strip a display plate or panel 28 which extends substantially beyond the outer, longitudinal edges of the strip 10. Thus, one is not limited in the space accessible for providing copy, indicia, pictures, etc., to a display plate or panel no wider than the width of the strip 10.

The rear portion of the elongated, longitudinal strip 10 has elongated, transversely outwardly and rearwardly sloping strip portions 33 and 34. The strip portions 33 and 34 are supported along their inner, longitudinal portions on the rear side of the web 11. They flare relative to each other in transverse directions outwardly and rearwardly from the respective upper and lower edges. They may be provided with rear faces 35 and 36 at the respective rearward, outer edges, which faces lie substantially in a vertical plane. The strip portions 12 and 13 are considerably wider than the strip portions 3-3 and 34 because the former strip portions are intended to be essentially hidden from view when the elongated mounting strip 10 is mounted on the backing or support member 17. The function of the strip portions 33 and 34 is to provide members which have a greater degree of give or yield than would have the web portion 11 to accommodate slight irregularities or unevenness on the surface of the backing or supporting member 17 on which the strip 10 is mounted. Thesestrip portions 33 and 34 give or yield a slight amount when screws orbolts 16 are drawn tightly with the heads pressing against the front face of the strip 10.

One of the display conveniences offered bythe mounting strips of this invention is the provision of an uptendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein disclosed being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A display device comprising an elongated mounting strip having an elongated, longitudinal, horizontal, web portion, first and second, elongated, longitudinal strip portions supported along their inner, longitudinal edges on the forward portion of said web portion and flaring relative to each other in transverse directions outwardly and forwardly from respective upper and lower edges of said web portion, thereby providing forwardly sloping, elongated, upper and lower strip members, elongated flange means forming opposing, facing, elongated grooves along the respective outer edges of said strip portions wardly opening, elongated compartment 37 formed by the rear face of strip portion 12, the front face of strip portion 33, the top of web I l and the front face of the backing or support member 17. If desired, this compartment can be used to hold the lower edges of advertising pamphlets or other advertising or promotional material so that a potential customer can take the advertising or promotion material if he desires. Such advertising or promotion material can be spread along the length of the strip 10 to any desired degree. Still further, the portion of the compartment 37 below the lip 24 is not readily seen or accessible and can be used to hide narrow strips of material used in association with the display copy which appears on the front face of the plate or panel 28,'e.g., strips of removable, pressure sensitive adhesive-coated numbers, letters, etc., which might be used from time to time to change the copy on the plate or panel 28. Such narrow strips ordinarily would be inserted in the open ends of the compartment 37 from which they could be readily removed by the intended user for changing the copy or indicia as aforesaid.

It is thought thatthe invention and its numerous atfor removably receiving therein at any place therealong the upper and lower edges of a strip of a display member, third and fourth, elongated, longitudinal strip portions supported along their inner, longitudinal edges on the rearward portion of said web and flaring relative to each other in transverse directions outwardly and rearwardly from respective upper and lower edges of said web portion, the rear faces of the respective outer edges of said third and fourth strip portions substantially lying in a vertical plane, said first and second strip portions being considerably wider than said third and fourth strip portions, thereby providing rearwardly sloping, elongated, upper and lower strip members, and said webportion having at least one aperture extending therethrough from front to rear adapted to receive a screw to attach said mounting strip to a support member with said rear faces pressed against said support member, whereby an upwardly opening, elongated compartment is formed by the rear face of said forwardly sloping, upper strip member, the front face of said rearwardly sloping, upper strip member, the top edge of said web and the front face of the support member.

2. A display device comprising an elongated mounting strip having an elongated, longitudinal, web portion, first and second, elongated, longitudinal strip portions supported along their inner, longitudinal edges on the forward portion of said web portion and flaring relative to each other in. transverse directions outwardly and forwardly from respective upper and lower edges of said web portion, elongated flange means forming opposing, facing, elongated grooves along the respective outer edges of said strip portions for removably receiving therein at any place therealong the upper and lower edges of a strip of a display plate, third and fourth, elongated, longitudinal strip portions supported along their inner, longitudinal edges on the rearward portion of said web and flaring relative to each other in transverse directions outwardly and rearwardly from respective upper and lower edges of said web portion, the rear faces of the respective outer edges of said third and fourth strip portions substantially lying in a vertical plane, said first and second strip portions being considerably wider than said third and fourth strip portions, and said web portion having at least one aperture extending therethrough from front to rear receiving a screw to attach said mounting strip to a support member; a panel adapted to have copy displayed on the front face thereof, a panel-mounting strip having a central, flat, elongated web segment lying flatly against and attached to the rear face of said panel, and elongated, longitudinal lips along opposite, longitudinal edges of said web segment, said lips being parallel with said web segment and displaced rearwardly relative to said web segment; said lips respectively being inserted in said opposing elongated grooves and mounting said panel on said mounting strip, and said panel being forward of the front edges of said flange means and ex- 5 tending laterally beyond the longitudinal edges of said mounting strip.

3. A display device as claimed in claim 1, and an elongated, narrow, longitudinal strip joined with the outer, longitudinal edge of said upper strip member and sloping rearwardly and downwardly in transverse directions into said compartment to hide from ready view narrow material stored in said compartment beneath said last-mentioned strip.

1/1953 Stingl 40-46 4/1958 Gordon 4010 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MOUNTING STRIP HAVING AN ELONGATED, LONGITUDINAL, HORIZONTAL, WEB PORTION, FIRST AND SECOND, ELONGATED, LONGITUDINAL STRIP PORTIONS SUPPORTED ALONG THEIR INNER, LONGITUDINAL EDGES ON THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID WEB PORTION AND FLARING RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTIONS OUTWARDLY AND FORWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF SAID WEB PORTION, THEREBY PROVIDING FORWARDLY SLOPING, ELONGATED, UPPER AND LOWER STRIP MEMBERS, ELONGATED FLANGE MEANS FORMING OPPOSING, FACING, ELONGATED GROOVES ALONG THE RESPECTIVE OUTER EDGES OF SAID STRIP PORTIONS FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING THEREIN AT ANY PLACE THEREALONG THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF A STRIP OF A DISPLAY MEMBER, THIRD AND FOURTH, ELONGATED, LONGITUDINAL STRIP PORTIONS SUPPORTED ALONG THEIR INNER, LONGITUDINAL EDGES ON THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID WEB AND FLARING RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTIONS OUTWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF SAID WEB PORTION, THE REAR FACES OF THE RESPECTIVE OUTER EDGES OF SAID THIRD AND FOURTH STRIP PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY LYING IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND STRIP PORTIONS BEING CONSIDERABLY WIDER THAN SAID THIRD AND FOURTH STRIP PORTIONS, THEREBY PROVIDING REARWARDLY SLOPING, ELONGATED, UPPER AND LOWER STRIP MEMBERS, AND SAID WEB PORTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE APERTURE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM FRONT TO REAR ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SCREW TO ATTACH SAID MOUNTING STRIP TO A SUPPORT MEMBER WITH SAID REAR FACES PRESSED AGAINST SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, WHEREBY AN UPWARDLY OPENING, ELONGATED COMPARTMENT IS FORMED BY THE REAR FACE OF SAID FORWARDLY SLOPING, UPPER STRIP MEMBER, THE FRONT FACE OF SAID REARWARDLY SLOPING, UPPER STRIP MEMBER, THE TOP EDGE OF SAID WEB AND THE FRONT FACE OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER. 